Pelican Bad Santa Review

Next up is a Cascadian Dark Ale. What’s that you ask? In the Cascade Mountains region (Vancouver BC, Washington and Oregon) they created a style called Cascadian Dark Ale. It’s malted and dark like a Porter, but it is hopped up like a West Coast IPA.

The Christmas beer I’m reviewing is Bad Santa from Pelican Brewing from Pacific City, Oregon.

Bad Santa pours nearly black with a hearty tan head of foam. The aroma is sweet toast caramel malts with earthy pine and a touch of vanilla. It tastes toasted with caramel and full-bodied malts. It’s more hop flavored than malt. There are zings of bright citrus, pine, and spice from the hops. The flavor is clean, not sweet, with earthy almost mushroom notes, perhaps from the Fuggle hops. It’s 65 IBU, very drinkable with the balance the malts and hops provide. It’s 7.5% ABV, medium bodied and good carbonation.

Pelican Brewing recently opened a brew pub in Tillamook, Oregon (of cheese fame) and won Large Brewpub of the Year at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival. Although I can assure you that I, Santa, am not bad, the cigar-smocking Pelican in the Santa hat on the bottle looks bad.

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    While it's difficult to picture Santa as a young man, he was once. He met the future Mrs. Claus one snowy night when she offered him a winter ale that she brewed herself. It was love at first sight - for both the Mrs. and her winter ales. With Santa's growing fame, his favorite brews became named after his favorite day - Christmas. Santa now travels the world each year to spread the joy that began in a stable in Bethlehem two millennia ago.

    Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.